Hot and sour soup
This is a simple, quick and very tasty chinese soup recipe that is excellent for treatment of your cold-riddled loved-ones, or just for general consumption. From Martha Stewart.
Ingredients
- 820ml reduced-salt chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon of finely chopped and crushed fresh red chilli
- 230gm shitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps thinly sliced
- 3 to 4 tablespoons of rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 200gm tofu (soft or firm), cut into ¼ inch cubes and well drained
- 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, finely grated
- a couple of spring onions, finely sliced
- a little sesame oil (optional extra for tastiness at the end)
Step 1
Combine the stock, soy sauce, chilli and 2 cups of water in a big (~5 litre) pot or saucepan. Bring to the boil using a medium heat.
Add the mushrooms, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 10 mins — until the shrooms are tender.
Step 2
In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons vinegar and cornstarch.
Bung it in the pot and then let it simmer, stirring, until soup is thickened. It should take about 1 minute.
Step 3
Pour the egg into the soup through a slotted spoon, and stir gently to form ribbons. Then gently stir in the tofu.
Remove it from the heat, cover it, and let it stand for 1 minute.
Put the ginger in a small sieve (or something that’ll help you squeeze out the ginger juice), and squeeze the juice into the soup (you can ditch the solids).
Taste, and (if required) add the remaining tablespoon of vinegar for a bit more of a kick, and/or a splash of sesame oil for some more flavour.
Sprinkle the spring onions over it to serve.